MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Class System Pt4

PoV: Archer

'Why is your hair messy?'

'What?'

I look over from the half-sandwich I have for lunch to Hels.

'Your hair. It's everywhere.'

'Get a haircut,' True agrees.

'I like my hair. It's supposed to be shaggy.'

'There's shaggy, and then there's messy,' Elex replies.

'Only girls and gays can have long hair.' I'm about to reply that Xor has long hair, but don't.

'I don't have long hair. It's supposed to look like this. I like my hairstyle.'

'No.' Elex packs away including the sandwich I was eating. 'We're doing something about this.'

'I'm not sneaking off the school grounds to have a haircut.'

'No. Come on.'

I'm pulled from my chair and forced along behind them out of the canteen. I try to fight; Elex's arm around my shoulder is too strong. We reach our hangout corner. True grabs some scissors from her pencil case.q

'What- what are you doing? Why are you...'

'Do it.' I can't move. All of my energy is in not crying, not complaining, as True starts cutting away what I always thought was a cool hairstyle, turning it into something shorter. She steps back when the bell goes, letting Elex judge her work.

'That's better. Come on.'

I only manage to see what they did in the toilets after maths. I run a hand through ruined mess of what was my best feature, fighting tears. It's short, uneven, spiky and horrible and I want to shave it all off, finish the job, though I know that'll would just look even worse...

A click of a cubicle opening. I hide my head. Then stop.

It's Zedaph.

He freezes, seeing me in the mirror. I can't take my eyes off the bruises across his face. I did that.

'E- Excuse me...'

'I'm sorry,' I mumble back, stepping away.

We both know I don't just mean it for being in the way.

'It's alright,' he replies. My chance to leave the conversation disappears. 'They made you do it. The stupid bullies.'

'They're my friends.'

'They were peer pressuring you. And being possessive and toxic, even though Elex didn't pick you for his team when he had the chance, and made you dependent on him with threats and...'

'F*** OFF!'

He stops speaking. But I can't.

'You- you know what? I CHOSE to hit you. Because you keep embarrassing me. So... so you deserved it. And I'll do it again. Without them asking me to. Because they don't control me.'

'Archer, please. You can be my friend.'

'I'm not a NERD, Zed**k.'

The bell rings.

Dread fills me. I missed a whole break time. Elex will let the others hurt me again when I see them tomorrow morning.

'See you in English.' Zed mutters, pushing past me and out of the toilets, leaving me alone.

'Arch!' I glance up at Scar under my hood as I approach the school exit. 'There you are... And take your hood down, it's not that cold.'

''Oh, hello Archer, how was your day?' 'Yeah, it was great.'' I snap back. Scar falls silent.

'Arch...'

'You're not Mom.' I walk faster. Scar catches up. 'You can't tell me to cheer up.'

'What happened?' He changes tact. 'Arch, I know something happened. Are your classmates bullying you? Did you fail a test?'

'Why would I be upset at failing a test?' We reach home, but Scar grabs my hand before I can hide.

'Archer. I know something's up. You've changed.'

'I'm a teenager. Of course I've changed.'

'And take down your...'

He stops, dropping the hood of my coat he'd just pulled off. I burn bright pink as he takes in my ruined hair, unable to look at him, wanting to cry.

'Who did this?'

I don't reply.

'Archer, tell me who did this to you,' Scar demands. 'I don't care what they said, you tell me who did this to you and I will make sure they get punished with the passion of a thousand Scars.'

'No one.' I mumble.

'You're my little brother, Archer. I know when you're lying. Was it a classmate? Was it your 'friends'?' I don't speak.

'That settles it, you're hanging out with me and my friends tomorrow.'

'That's bulls***!' I snap. 'I don't need protecting!'

'You do. Your 'friends' are monsters. And I know you've been hiding bruises from me. I'm your brother. I care about you, Archer. And I'm not letting them hurt you again.'

I don't say anything. There's no way I'm looking like a sad coward by staying with my older brother at school, but they're the only people that would keep me safe if Elex tried anything.  Though... he's normally fine, isn't he? If I do this, then he'll truly hate me. He'll hurt me, properly bully me, beat me up like he beat up Zedaph. 

'Archer, I'm not letting them hurt you again! You're hanging out with my friends or you're skiving school until those sick bullies are expelled.'

'Elex is the principal's son.' I say.  'You can't expel him.' And I run away to cry in private.

'We need to talk,' is the first thing Elex says the next day at break time.

'I'm sorry. I was in the toilets and I...'

'I don't care about that any more.'

'What?' I stop. 'Then what's...'

He shoves me against the wall, face inches from mine.

'We gave you a lovely haircut yesterday. And you snitched.'

'I- I didn't...' But I know who did. Scar.

'And do you know what snitches get?'

'B****es,' replies Hels confidently. Xor slaps him.

'Stitches.' He answers correctly.

And pulls out a knife.

'Snitches get stitches.'

I struggle, desperately trying to escape. They have a knife. They're going to attack me with a knife.

'HELP!' I yell. 'HELP PLEASE! SCAR PLEASE HELP ME...' I start crying, still fighting. Elex covers my mouth, muffling my shrieks.

'Your big brother can't help you now, little Arch.' Xor hands Elex the knife.

I kick him in the leg.

'You F***ER!' He swears. I shove him as hard as I can, breaking into a run. The group follow, sprinting out of hiding, forcing me towards the English block.

'HELP!' I yell as I enter. 'HELP HE HAS A KNIFE!' Everyone's staring at me. They 4 continue to directly where they want me to go, into the toilets, into one of the cubicles.

I'm trapped.